NHTSA complaint #11743889

Owner complaint summary

Disgusted & deeply disappointed in my first (& last) experience owning a Toyota is an understatement. I confidently purchased a brand new Camry in 2019, based on their reputation for reliability. But, as soon as the warranty expired, the problems began. First, the electronic water pump failed, costing me $1200. The thermostat failed while I was on vacation last year, costing $300ish. Multiple battery issues. Then, a few months pass, check engine light pops up. Says it needs an O2 sensor. Replace it, light goes off, only to come back a few days later. Take to dealership where they charge me $200 to diagnose. They inform me the car will not accept after market parts & I'll need to purchase one from them instead for around $600. Yes. $600 for an O2 sensor. At only 129k miles, the transmission failed. The car stopped in the middle of an intersection & would not move forward, nearly causing me & my child to be hit. Mechanic informs me that it can be upwards of $7k to replace with a used transmission, $11k for new, & that's only WHEN they can get the part, which is on back order for MONTHS. This is because the supply can't keep up with the demand, as this model has widespread transmission issues. It was explicitly stated it is a "manufacturer defect." Yet, no recall. My online research absolutely supports that this is a large & very common problem that should warrant some responsibility from Toyota. It was on a rollback 4 times in 1 year. So, I was put in a position where I was forced to buy another car, since obviously I can't go without one for months. My 6 year old car (at time of breakdown) is now basically junk. It sits in my driveway, worthless, just 7 months after payoff.